The invention relates to hair application of various substances such as relaxer, bleach, dye, gel, conditioner and the like. In particular, the invention relates to applying substances to the hair and manipulating the hair once the substance(s) is(are) applied.
In the field of application devices, the tip of a rat-tail comb (i.e., the tip opposite the brush or comb) is currently used to separate sections of hair. The spine part of the comb (i.e., the part which teeth of the comb rest upon, the spine of a brush (i.e., where the bristles of the brush are attached to the brush), the bristles of the brush, or the back or a comb (the spine sections) are currently used to apply relaxer to the hair. In a current use, the handle of the rat-tail comb is narrow as it extends from the bristle portion of the brush. The tip of this handle is currently used to separate a section of hair for manipulation. The brush end, or comb end (opposite the rat-tail end) of the brush""s spine adjacent the bristles or comb is then dipped into a container of relaxer. Once the relaxer is on the rear of the comb spine or the brush bristles, the relaxer is applied to the hair, beginning with the hair at or near the scalp and ending at the last part of the section of hair that has not been relaxed (or straightened). In the event the hair has not previously been relaxed or straightened, the relaxer would be applied to the entire hair.
Applying relaxer with either a standard rat-tail comb or brush has several drawbacks. First, the back of the comb spine is generally narrow and/or the brush bristles easily become unstable and flimsy. This limits the user in both: applying fluid to and straightening the hair, thereby limiting the user in manipulating wide sections of the hair that are to become chemically processed in a controlled manner. The user must push the rat tail end (i.e., tip) through the hair several times and continue to apply chemical relaxer creme. This occurs because the chemical usually is absorbed into the hair shafts and disappears, without leaving an adequate amount of viscous fluid matter on the hair. An adequate amount of viscous fluid is desired in order to weigh down the hair sufficiently while the chemical hair softening process takes place. Second, the surface of the spine is generally flat or angled and cannot be efficiently used to press hair against the curved human scalp. Third, the comb generally cannot be efficiently used to apply relaxer to the hair, as: 1) its rat tail comb or brush length requires it to be placed into a reservoir at an angle (thus not allowing amounts of fluids or cremes to be extracted from a horizontal position), and/or 2) its surface does not permit it to be pressed against the reservoir to remove excess fluid or creme, in order to apply an even (i.e., uninterrupted) horizontal line amount of fluid or creme to the hair. Fourth, due to the spaced-apart bristles on current brushes, the application of fluid to the hair with a brush leaves voids (i.e., spaces) where the fluid is not applied.
A hair separator and fluid applicator is provided that includes a central handle portion, a parting portion disposed adjacent the central handle portion, and an applying portion disposed adjacent the central handle portion opposite the parting portion. The parting portion includes a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being disposed opposite the central handle portion and generally narrowing from the proximal end to the distal end. The parting portion also includes a generally concave face.
The hair separator and fluid applicator may optionally include a ribbed ringlet comb disposed about the handle portion, the ringlet comb being displaceable along a length of the handle portion. The handle portion may optionally be disposed along a generally longitudinally extending axis, with the applying portion extending from the handle portion along a generally longitudinally extending axis. The handle portion may be shaped such that it tapers as it extends towards both the parting portion and the applying portion.
The applying portion may also include a generally convexly extending blade. The applying portion may optionally include teeth that form a xe2x80x9crakexe2x80x9d beneath or along the applying blade. The applying portion may also include a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portion includes a substantially flat ridge for applying a substance to hair.